Read about how registering with MissionFish can help you fundraise for your favorite causes through charity auctions on eBay, The World's Online Marketplace®.ISoldIt offers a turn key solution to sell items for fundraisers on eBay through its network of retail locations. Read About how they can make your auction fundraising a breeze.

VolunteerMatch connects people with causes that need their help. Read This Story about how you can use their service to find a volunteer or volunteer opportunity.Post An Opportunity, or search for a volunteer opportunity in your area by entering your zip code below.ZIP

Browse a list of Internet terms by clicking on the Pocket Dictionary, or Search for a specific term.

Be a better online fundraiser!NetLingois an award-winning dictionary of Internet terms. It contains thousands of words and definitions that describe the online world of business, technology, and communication. It will help to educate and entertain you about the lingo used in the online world :^)

Fundraising
resources come in many forms. Recent articles at Fundraisers.Com
have focused on beneficial
technological and information
resources. This
month we offer a slightly more homespun flavor in our resource area.or
should we say 101 different flavors. Yes, it's time to get savvy about
the finer points of adding an ice cream social to your local fundraising
event.

Make-A-Wish-Foundation,
Special Olympics, Red Cross, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation, Starlight Children's Foundation and Boys and Girls
Clubs are some of the larger groups Dandy Don has dished with. He's
also helped smaller groups in Southern California scoop up extra fundraising
funds with ice cream sundae bars at charitable events. They include
the Friends of Robinson Garden, LA Shanti, and the Club Culinaire Francais.

Charity
auctions, tasting events, and fundraising dinners are examples of
venues where ice cream adds that extra sprinkling of fun. After
all, they didn't coin the phrase "Ice Cream Socials" for no reason.
Sundae bars bring out the inner child in attendees at black tie suppers
and more casual charity events. Scoops of ice cream drizzled with
toppings, whipped cream and a cherry makes everyone a little
more..social.

Dandy
Don offers tips from years of experience in his for-profit business
and a winning record of partnerships with charitable organizations.
Don says, "You can easily sell a two ounce ice cream sundae - half
the size of four ounce sundaes from ice cream parlors - for $2.00
or more at fundraising events." Supporters of charities don't mind
the price because proceeds are going to a worthy cause.

Don adds,
"I always recommend collecting the money in advance. It helps project
what you really need on hand for attendees. You can lose money by buying
more than you can sell." He repeats his advice again for added emphasis,
"Never do it on 'spec.' Always pre-sell the event."

Partnering
with a local ice cream shop is a great way to go according to Dandy
Don. "You can usually get the ice cream shop to promote the event along
with your organization so you're getting double coverage." Ice cream
retailers may offer their products at cost or if you're really lucky
they'll donate some or all of the ingredients for an ice cream sundae
bar.

Adding
an "ala mode" option to bake sales can also increase sales by fifty
cents an item. Don says, "Charging fifty cents for a scoop of vanilla
ice cream on a slice of pie or a piece of cake can increase profits
at bake sales which are always great money makers."

Don does
have some basic advice for those wishing to get supporters screaming
for ice cream. He advises, "Don't buy the big three gallon containers
at food warehouses. By the time you get to the bottom the ice cream
will be melted and messy." It's that old penny-wise and pound-foolish
caution. "Most large retailers carry ice cream in five quart containers.
This size is your best bet for profitability and ease of service,"
he says.

"You also
need to have plenty of volunteers on hand to scoop. The fewer hands
scooping the greater your chance of melting ice cream," according to
Dandy Don. He adds, "When it's possible, I try to pre-scoop ice cream
into individual bowls. Teams of two per tub work well. The bowls can
be stacked in large ice chests and brought out as needed." Pre-scooped
bowls of ice cream need to be refrozen for two - three hours before
serving. Don says to plan your time accordingly.

Dandy Don
urges EXTREME caution when handling dry ice. "Only adults who are thoroughly
skilled with handling dry ice should go near it. NEVER let children
come in contact with dry ice." Curiosity can tempt even adults to touch
or taste dry ice. "Second and third degree burns can happen quickly.
Handling dry ice is like handling fire," Don says. When in doubt, don't
use it. Ice and dry ice should be placed on top of ice cream in coolers.
"Remember, cold air falls and hot air rises," he adds.

You
can expect to get approximately 30 scoops out of a five quart container.
Plexiglass containers or large ice chests can usually be found at
party rental agencies. "Keep in mind the sun will always be an issue
for outdoor
summer events using ice cream. If possible, toppings are best served under a
cover of shade, as most toppings melt at 80°F.
During the summer, always hold ice cream events indoors," Dandy
Don advises.

Hot fudge
isn't always practical for ice cream sundae bars. Don says squeeze bottles
of chocolate sauce usually cure the chocolate craving. He also says
buying packages of cookies and candy bars and crushing them yourself
is a money saver. "Rainbow sprinkles are more popular than the chocolate
ones and you can find them in most candy aisles," according to Don,
"Whipped cream in cans is a also good bet."

For that
gourmet touch, fresh fruit can be sliced on site. In Don's experience,
"People love to see the food being prepared. Any kind of fresh fruit
can be sliced right at the ice cream bar." Strawberries, kiwis and bananas
are popular choices.

If
there's a large ice cream distributor in your area, they may
offer a mobile freezing unit for serving ice cream novelties at
local fundraising events. If not, dry ice can be used to keep novelties
frozen prior to being purchased by attendees as fundraisers.

Rewards
for meeting your group's fundraising goals are an important gesture
when teaching younger people about the value of giving and serving your
community. Most of the groups Dandy Don's serves for achieving their
goals are advised, early on, that their reward will be a Hot Fudge Sundae
Bar with all the trimmings.

Don says
he always serves his 'Top Ten Toppings' at thank you parties for hardworking
fundraisers. Young people recognize the generosity of this reward because
they eat sundaes regularly and know the cost of extra special toppings.

Hard workers
who made or exceeded their goals know that their ultimate sundae vision
will be a reality when the community's goal is met. Don says, "Next
time, give your best winning effort more than just another pizza. Always
let the kids put lots of toppings on their sundae!" He adds, "They earned
their reward. If they do over indulge, they might learn that too much
of a good thing (especially sweet treats) requires moderation."

A
few succinct testimonials prove the power of ice cream as a valuable
resource for fundraisers. Here are a few words from organizations that
have benefited from Dandy Don's generosity and delectable sundaes. .

From
the AIDS Project LA: Dandy Don, thank you so much for your time
and your delectable contributions to our event. Summer Party was a
huge success and you helped us raise thousands of dollars to benefit
AIDS Project Los Angeles.

From
Temple Knesset Israel: On behalf of the Board of Governors of Knesset
Israel, please accept our sincere thank you for donating the ice cream
for our 75th Anniversary Celebration. Everyone loved the ice cream
and was pleasantly surprised to know it was kosher.

From
Make-A-Wish-Foundation: Thank you so much for participating in
our 8th Annual Wine Tasting & Auction. Your stand was one of the most
successful. It certainly made for a fun evening.

Go
to Dandy Don's website for more ideas in the "catering" section. You
can also read many more thank-you notes from organizations that discovered
the nostalgic draw of ice cream sundae bars at fundraising events. You'll
scream, they'll scream, we'll all scream with delight over funds raised
with ice cream.

Poker Cares is a network of poker and fundraising experts who care to make a difference in the community. Find out how you can organize a charity poker tournament event for your next fundraiser. See the FundRaisers.com... Poker Resources Page.Poker Fundraiser For Diabetes
Read about how Pulver Enterprises hosted a successful Texas Hold'em Tournament to benefit Diabetes causes.

Want to find out about Charity Poker Tournaments or let us know about yours? We want to hear from you. Experts wanted! See the Fundraisers.com...CHARITY POKER BLOG

Get your nonprofit's message out to the world via the world's largest online video community. Sign up today for a dedicated YouTube Nonprofit Channel.
Read about all the valuable technology articles that TechSoup offers to help your organization effectively plan and use technology.

Thanks for visiting FundRaisers.com! Share it with other people for their fundraising campaigns.